Heart (Cardiopulmonary) Services

Overview

As an academic medical center, University of Louisville Hospital offers heart care that never sleeps. Our staff is dedicated to providing the most advanced diagnostic and treatment services to our patients. We haveÂ physicians onsite 24 hours a day, seven days a week, along with operating rooms open day and night, should you need urgent or emergency cardiac care.

Symptoms and Warning Signs

If you think you are having a heart attack, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense â€” the â€śmovie heart attack,â€ť where no one doubts what is happening. But most heart attacks start slowly with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected are not sure what isÂ wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

Chest discomfort:Â Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

Discomfort in other areas of the upper body:Â Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

Shortness of breath:Â May occur with or without chest discomfort.

Other signs: Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea orÂ lightheadedness

As with men, a womanâ€™s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

If you or someone you are with has chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other signs, do not wait longer than a few minutes (no more than five) before calling for help. Get to a hospital right away.